Are Vacation Home Warranties Good For Vacation Rental Owners?

The short answer is no. Home warranties are famous for delayed responses and low price (value) technicians. Still, I can consider the argument of home warranties are good values… but for primary residences only. Even then, I find they are frustrating and typically without complete resolution.

For vacation rentals, large and important purchases / repairs are mostly likely needed during a busy season of high use. Think refrigerators and air conditioning systems. These season are often filled with vacation guests paying thousands in rental rates for a few nights of relaxing vacation time.

When a system needs repair, the guest often expects an immediate result… regardless of what they would expect at home. Warranties add lots of delays, and more delays create potential liability for the home owner. The longer a guest waits, the more likely a credit or refund is expected.

My advice… ignore the home warranty unless it’s January or February. Otherwise, it is likely the perceived savings of a warranty plan will turn into an unseen expense with the move or refund issued to a understandably hot and frustrated vacation guest.